Kelly Curry "Murals"

Artist Statement

I’m not a spray painter; I’m a "Dimensional Brush Muralist". I use a brush-only, multi-layer technique to create murals with a unique dimensional depth that lasts a lifetime. What i do is unique in the mural world, and I have a technique that creates a true work of art that lasts the test of time with over 650 murals in 26 years.
When it comes to painting murals, the learning never stops.
Whether it's about the qualities of the paint, how it goes on, how it sticks to different surfaces or trying new techniques or learning things like paint dries fast on hot surfaces but on overcast days, humidity makes paint stay wet and move for much longer – perfect for blending.
I love that I learn something new every time I paint.
I really enjoy coming up with just the right design for each commission which involves researching topics and having conversations with my clients to understand what they want or what they'd like to see in their mural. It's important to me to include elements they may see in their heads so that I can deliver them a work of art that exceeds their expectations.

So far, so good.
But not all clients have specific ideas about what they want.
In those cases, the walls and spaces to be painted often tell me exactly what should go there as soon as I see them - there's no question. Architectural pieces in the wall, like windows or even the view outside the windows, always give me a clear idea, but there have definitely been some spaces that were more difficult to figure out than others.
That's where my dreams come in. I see the solution of what I need to do to create the perfect design in the space the art will go.
The one consistent piece in all of my mural designs is that there has to be action or movement so it makes you feel like you're a part of the work of art. Whether it's fish jumping, ships moving, or people working – anyone looking can see that something is going on there. A story is being told.
The most important lesson I've learned over the years is
to just trust myself.
When people have asked me if I was into art as a little kid or in grade school or if I‘ve had any formal training I could only remember taking art classes in high school so I didn't have to take other types of classes. I did not think I was any good or felt it was important.
Even after I started to paint murals it seemed to me that everyone I knew thought what I was doing was maybe a hobby or possibly a waste of time, but something in me guided me. I had a new sense of direction in life, one I knew I would never stop pursuing.
It has always been more than a hobby and even more than a career. It has become an obsession of love, growth, and enjoyment.
Over the years, from countless moments of reflection and a handful of eye-opening conversations, I’ve come to the conclusion that art was always my destiny.
Maybe I’ve always been an artist but it took nearly dying to know the possibility of fully living my authentic self – completely unafraid and free.
And after all the learning on all those levels, when I touch my brush to the wall that's where I leave my energy, for as long as the art is there.